The SAT School Day
Increasing Student Access to College Opportunity
- Introducing SAT School Day
- Benefits for Students
- Benefits for Colleges and Universities
- Spring School-Day SAT
- Student Search Service®
Introducing SAT® School Day
Improving access to and equity in the higher education admission process has always been a primary driver of the College Board’s mission. By fairly assessing the skills students have learned in school and their ability to apply those skills, the SAT continues to support this mission, while also serving as a valuable tool to help states and districts foster a college-going culture.
Reaffirming that commitment to increased access and equity in education, the College Board recently began an exciting new initiative in which participating districts and states funded students to take the SAT during a school day at their hometown high schools. The SAT will be offered to students on a school day in both the fall and spring of the academic year, increasing the number of administrations from the current seven to ten.
When a district or state funds its juniors or seniors to take the SAT in their home schools, it is providing encouragement for all students to pursue a college education and providing improved access and convenience to meet college admission testing requirements. The SAT on a school day reduces test-day stress because students are in a familiar location with familiar staff. Increased participation in the college going process sends a powerful message of a school’s commitment to prepare all students for the next step.
Benefits for Students
The SAT School Day benefits students in many ways:
- Testing on a school day in familiar surroundings means students don’t have to juggle competing work or family obligations.
- Because they are testing in their own school, students can use the same transportation as on any school day.
- Students do not have to try to locate an unfamiliar testing site.
- Students are more likely to know and trust the staff administering the test.
Benefits for Colleges and Universities
Colleges and universities benefit from:
- An increased and diversified pool of college-ready students to help achieve their enrollment goals
- More student names available in Student Search Service
- More prospective students one step closer to completing their college applications
Recent SAT School Day Results
In the 2011-12 academic year, approximately 45,000 students participated in SAT School Day at their high schools during the school week. Schools and districts in eight states participated:
| Delaware | State-wide |
| Connecticut | Capitol Region Education Council, Hartford and New Haven Public Schools |
| Florida | Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach School Districts |
| Idaho | State-wide |
| Indiana | District |
| Maryland | School |
| New Jersey | Long Branch Public Schools |
| Texas | Amarillo, Houston, Irving, and Lubbock Independent School Districts |
Over 50% of students who participated in the FY12 SAT School Day qualified for free or reduced-price lunch.*
*Estimated based on free and reduced-price lunch rates from the Federal Education Budget Project
Student Search Service®
The names of the students participating in the SAT School Day administrations who have elected to participate in the Student Search Service will be available in the Student Search Service.